The Roxas Chronicles
by Mizagium
Summary: What if Roxas did not vanish in Kingdom Hearts II? What if he survived and joined back with the Organization? How would things have played out differently? BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER. WITH PLOT!
1. I'm Not Sora

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Square Enix and Disney.

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Chapter One: I am not Sora

Roxas stood there and stared at the strange pod. It reminded him of a flower not quite in full bloom. All around him the room was white, blank, empty. Somewhere outside this room, DiZ was watching him. But inside the pod, Sora was sleeping.

Sora. Roxas thought about the boy everyone was so worried about, the boy that mattered more than him. They were ready to give up Roxas for Sora. His hand tightened around the Keyblade. He mattered, too! He mattered just as much as Sora. Why couldn't they see that?

Namine's words echoed in his head. 'If Sora wakes up, you'll disappear.' She had told him outright the end of it all. DiZs voice echoed again through the room.

"Sora can't wake up without you Roxas."

"I know!" He shouted.

The strange pod began too move. The "petals" folded outward, slowly revealing the center. Roxas watched with a mix of feelings as his end approached. Each metallic petal moved fluidly, silently. What strange contraption was this that could keep a boy asleep for a year? It didn't matter he supposed, it would be of no use ot him anyway.

Finally the last layer of petals unfolded and the center pod became visible. There Sora slept. Roxas waited, the inevitability of it all bearing down on him. He did not want to disappear. Maybe Sora was important but so was he!

The center pod made a noise and the side facing him split down the middle as two more petals unfolded. Behind them Sora became visible. This was the boy he was supposed to become. This was the boy everyone was so worried about. Even though he did not remember ever seeing Sora before this, he felt familiar.

'I am his Nobody after all.' He though quickly.

Roxas watched Sora for a moment before realizing what he must do. "Guess my summer vacation is..." He began, but stopped. He wanted to continue to exist. He did not want to become Sora, but what could he do? He was not even supposed to exist. What could a nonexistent being do to save himself?

He felt himself slipping away, becoming Sora. With a renewed defiance he fought it. He fought to stay Roxas, to not become Sora, to continue to exist.

The room began to shift in and out of focus. The digital recreation of the Twilight Mansion was failing. Something Roxas was doing was affecting it. He fought harder, pulling himself back to reality. He would not become Sora, he would not let himself.

"I'm not Sora!" Roxas shouted in defiance. The digital room shifted out of focus one last time before vanishing completely. Roxas' voice echoed in the darkness...

Namine watched Sora's Sleep Pod in the real Twilight Mansion. She heard DiZ shouting down the hall at something. Sora should be awak by now, she knew it. She had finished re-chaining his memories back together and Roxas had been led to Sora's pod in the Digital Twilight Mansion. So why was Sora still sleeping? And not just that, but Donald and Goofy were still sleeping. They should have woken up a while ago.

Something was wrong.

Suddenly the pod opened. The petals of the mechanical flower opened up as if in bloom. Namine waited with bated breath, but remained cautious. Why were Donald and Goofy still asleep? She would have her answer soon.

As the final petals fell away and the inner pod doors opened, Namine knew what was wrong. Sora was not in the pod. Someone else was. Not waiting to see who was inside, Namine ran out of the room and back to where DiZ and Riku were.

The door sip open as Namine burst inside. "Namine!" DiZ shouted standing up. "What happened?"

"I don't know," she leaned to catch her breath. "But that isn't Sora asleep in the pod!" A horrified look crossed DiZ and Riku's faces. "who is it?"

DiZ slumped back into his chair. "It's Roxas."

Roxas stepped out of the sleep pod. It felt like he had been asleep for a long time, but it had only been a few minutes, right? He stretched his arms and legs, taking his time. It felt good. He looked back at the pod where Sora once was. He smiled. Not anymore.

Making sure his abilities were in tact, he called the Keyblade. It manifested itself and Oathkeeper and Oblivion. Perfect. He was up to his full strength.

Keeping the Keyblades in his hands, he made his way back to where he had fought Axel in the Digital Mansion. There, in the real Mansion, lay Axel were Roxas had defeated him before. Axel stirred and sat up. "You're back."

"Yep." Roxas reached out a hand to help up his friend. "And Sora's gone."

"What?" Axel stared at the outstretched hand. "Sora's...gone?" He took the hand and got to his feet. "How?"

"Don't tell me you care about him, too?" Roxas turned away slightly from Axel.

"No! No, of course not, Roxas. You're my friend, right?" He tested the waters with Roxas. He had tried the friend card before when Roxas left the Organization; it had not worked.

Roxas lifted his head and faced Axel with a smile. "Right."

Reassured, Axel clapped him on the back. "You know, Xemnas isn't happy that you left."

"Yeah, but I bet he'll change his mind."

"Why do you say that?"

"I just have a feeling."

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	2. Number 13 Again

**Author's Notes:** Wrote this one rather quick, sorry it's a little short compared to the first chapter.

**Disclaimer:** All characters and location belong to Square Enix and Disney

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**Chapter Two: Number XIII Again**

"You abandoned the Organization, cut off contact, attack a fellow member, and now you wish to be let back in?" Xemnas, the Superior read over the reasons why Roxas should not be allowed back into the Organization. "I shouldn't even be considering this, I should turn you into a Dusk, or worse..."

Roxas faced Xemnas without faltering. He knew the chances of re-acceptance were slim, but begging was not going to get him anywhere.

"However," Xemnas continued. "You do still hold the Keyblade, correct?" Roxas nodded and produced Oathkeeper and Oblivion. Muttering among the surviving member of Organization XIII stirred up at this display. Xemnas held up a hand, all talking ceased.

Saix spoke next. "Does the holding of the Keyblade affect Roxas' proposition, Superior?" He addressed Xemnas by his title. Saix was second in command, but knew his place. Xemnas accepted the question without comment. He thought about it for a moment before replying.

"Yes." Was his answer.

"Yes?" Saix questioned again. He wished to probe further but did not want to probe too far, Xemnas was not known for his understanding.

"The Keyblade is the only weapon capable of returning hearts to Kingdom Hearts." Xemnas explained. "I assume that because Roxas is here, Sora is gone." Muttering among the Organization members stirred up again, but were silence with a wave of Xemnas' hand like before.

"Regardless of his transgressions against the Organization, his abilities are necessary for our plans." He looked around at the other Nobodies in their chairs, high above the floor.

"If there are no further objections," No one would dare object to Xemnas' orders, not after Castle Oblivion. "I reinstate Roxas into Organization XIII as No. XIII on a probationary stance. Any mission he is sent on will be in the company of another member, chosen by me. Is that clear?"

Everyone nodded, even Roxas. "Very well. Meeting adjourned!" Xemnas vanished in a puff of darkness. Other members waited a moment before vanishing off their chairs. Corridors of Darkness were the only way into and out of their meeting room, Where Nothing Gathers.

Axel waited until everyone else had left before jumping down to talk to Roxas.

"Well what do you know, Roxas." Roxas glanced over with a questioning smile. "You're still in one piece, and not a Dusk."

"Did you think that's what would happen?" Roxas tried to sound angry, but started laughing instead. Axel joined in after a moment, but soon quit, a frown crossing his face.

"You now, the only reason you're still here is because of the Keyblade." Roxas stopped laughing.

"Way to kill the mood." He remarked still smiling. The concern on Axel's face made become more serious. "Yeah, I know." He clasped Axel on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I won't run off this time."

Axel lightened up. "Promise?"

Roxas smiled. "Promise."

Axel shook off Roxas' hand. "All right. Boy, I'm hungry, let's go find some food."

"Sure." They both disappeared into Corridors of Darkness.

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	3. Regroup

**Author's Note:** The title is a bit of a misnomer. The Roxas Chronicles do not focus exclusively on Roxas. Riku is the main secondary character. Whoops, I made a oxymoron.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of these characters or locations. They belong to Disney and Square Enix.

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Chapter Three: Regroup

DiZ sat at his computers and drummed his fingers on the keyboard absently. the light from the monitors gave the room at eerie green glow. All the information displayed was from the moment Roxas emerged from the pod. He kept searching for what happened. Something here had to show him what went wrong.

Riku stood silently off the one side, his hood drawn upo over his head. In bringing Roxas to DiZ, he had been forced to awaken the darkness again, and so took on the form of Ansem, the man who had possessed his body. He still hated himself for it. He had convinced himself that if Sora was awakened, then it would all be worth it, but now...

Namine stood up against the back wall, one arm folded behind her back, holding the other in her hand. She too was going over the situation in her mind. Why did Roxas awaken and not Sora? She was not able to explain it. She, perhaps, blamed herself more than anyone else. It was her fault Sora was in the situation in the first place. She was the one who unchained and altered his memories as he progressed through Castle Oblivion. He wouldn't be here if not for her...

Riku and Namine jumped when DiZ slammed his fist on the keypad. He turned his seat and stood up, facing Namine. Only his eyes and mouth were visible, but the fury on his face was evident. He walked decidedly towards Namine.

"What went wrong?" DiZ said slowly, anger seething from his voice.

"I-I don't know." Namine stuttered defensively. "Everyth-thing was going p-perfectly, and then..." She lowered her head as she trailed off.

"Yes, everything was going perfectly." DiZ repeated sarcastically. "But then Roxas walked away instead of Sora!" He reached out and grabbed Namine by her throat and brought her up to eye level. "Now I'll ask you again: What went wrong?"

Namine scratched at DiZ's bandaged hands, gasping for breath. "I...ack...don't know! I don't...ack..know! Please!" Namine pleaded. Riku moved toward toward DiZ, his arm outstretched as if to to pacify DiZ.

"DiZ..." He said. He was ignored. "DiZ!" He shouted again. "That's enough!" DiZ looked over his shoulder at Riku, as if warning him to stay away, then turned back to Namine.

DiZ was thrown sideways, his grip on Namine released and she fell to the floor. He doubled over in pain, gathering his air. He looked up angrily. Riku stood confidently, Soul Eater held in his fighting stance. Namine got to her feet and ran to Riku for protection. She hid behind him like a frightened child.

"You!" DiZ spat. "You attacked me!"

"You might have killed her if I hadn't." Riku defended, never raising his voice.

"She's a Nobody!"

"She's a person."

DiZ caught his breath and stood up to his full height, making him several inched taller than Riku. Even though their heights were similar, DiZ presented himself in such a way that he seemed to dwarf Riku. He moved himself right in front of Riku and stared. Riku met his gaze and held it. The two stayed like that for the better part of a minute, staring each other down.

Finally, DiZ looked away and continued, content with Riku's response. Riku lowered Soul Eater. Namine reappeared from behind Riku.

"What now?" Riku asked.

"Roxas may have returned to the Organization." DiZ stated, sitting back down in his chair. He turned back to his monitors and typed something on his keypad. Information on Donald and Goofy appeared on the screens. Images of their pods also showed up.

"But wasn't Roxas running away from the Organization?" Riku asked, pulling up his hood.

"Yes, but without Sora's memories clouding his head, corrupting his judgment, he might feel safer with other Nobodies." Namine observed.

"Particularly the one called Axel." DiZ produced an image of Axel. "Organization XIII No.8, Axel, the Flurry of Dancing Flames and master of the Assassin subspecies of lesser Nobodies." DiZ read of information about Axel.

"He also worked with the master of Castle Oblivion, Marluxia to capture Sora for their own use. He subsequently betrayed him and Larxene, perhaps following order for the Superior." Namine gave more information based on her time in Castle Oblivion."

DiZ tapped his fingers on the keypad thinking, planning. "Perhaps Leon and the others could help us." Riku offered. "They're in Hollow Bastion, maybe they would help us find Roxas."

"Perhaps..." DiZ mused. He scratched his bandaged chin.

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Thanks for reading. Please review, as always. Look at some of my other stories.

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	4. Mispaced Trust

**Author's Note:** I guess I'm keeping a semi-tradition of kinda short chapters. Oh well, they'll get longer I promise. And cookies! There will be cookies!

**Disclaimer:** Copyright and all that jazz. None of this is mine, blah blah blah.

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Chapter Four: Misplaced Trust

Roxas stood before Xemnas and the remaining members of Organization XIII. Everyone besides Roxas sat on their raised chairs, looking down at him. It didn't bother him. He knew he was capable of killing each and everyone of them.

"Your first assignment after being reinstated into the Organization," Xemnas began, "Is to assist member Xaldin." Roxas raised one eyebrow. Xemnas must have seen it becasue he continued. "You were sent there before with him. It seems his mission is taking longer than expected."

Roxas waited for Xemans to finish. "When you arrive, you are to find Xaldin and give him whatever assistance he needs in completing his mission." Roxas nodded. "But," Xemans continued. "As per your probationary stauts, another member will accompany you there." He turned his head to look at the remaining members. "Axel." He said finally. "You will accompany Roxas."

"Me?" Axel pointed at himself, a surprised look on hi face.

"Yes, you. Is there a problem?" Axel looked at Xemnas, then at Roxas, then back.

"No. No problem." He hopped down from his chair and landed next to Roxas and looked up to face Xemnas. He bumped Roxas cheerfully and gave him a quick friendly smile when he turned back to look.

"You both are to leave immediately. You know the way." THe both bowed slightly in obedience and diapered into a Corridor of Darkness.

"Is that really a good dead, Xemnas?" Saix asked once Roxas and Axel left Where Nothing Gathers. Xemnas turned his head to inicate he had hear his question and was curious.

"Is what a good idea?"

"To send Axel with Roxas."

"Why would it be a bad idea?"

"Because," Luxord interjected. "Roxas is Axel's friend. If Roxas tires to run off, Axel probably won't stop him." Xemnas turned to speak to Luxord.

"Axel is loyal to the Organization, he proved that both in Castle Oblivion when he killed Marluxia, and when he brought Roxas back to us." Xemnas was not thrilled about being questioned, but let it continue. If they received satisfactory answers they would follow more easily.

"But Axel is also loyal to his friend." Luxord persisted. "He always was. And besides, He was the one who killed Vexen, not Marluxia."

"Vexen had outlived his purpose." Xemnas stated. "So had Lexaeus. Marluxia and Larxene had betrayed the Organization. Axel saw to it that they were eliminated. He will not betray us." He vanished in a puff of darkness to signify that the conversation was over.

"I still don't like this." Saix said to himself, but mainly to those four who remained.

"Roxas betrayed the Organization once who says he won't do it again?" Xigbar shot is his hotheaded way.

"And Axel was always a wildcard..." Saix muttered.

"Roxas in=s more powerful than Xemnas realizes." Luxord observed. Demyx looked at him incredulously.

"No one's more powerful than The Superior!"

"Oh don't be so naive!" Luxord snapped. "Roxas is the wielder of the Light Realm's Keyblade. Marluxia and Larxene could have easily taken the Organization if they got Sora under their control! Roxas is just as powerful."

"R-Really?"

"Agh, it doesn't matter," Siax waved everyone silent. "For now, we keep quiet. Xemnas might be right. After all, he was right about Marluxia..." He trailed off and eventually vanished into a Corridor of Darkness. Luxord followed, then Xigbar, then Demyx. Where Nothing Gathers was empty again.

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	5. Unfamiliar Friend

**Author's Note: Its been longer than I hoped. School sucks.**

**Disclaimer: Whatever...  
**

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Chapter Five: Unfamiliar Friends

DiZ, Riku, and Namine stepped out of the Corridor of Darkness into Hollow Bastion. The world was vastly different since Riku last was here. Before, only the castle and its inner chambers had survived the Heartless assault when Riku came looking for the Final Keyhole. Now the world was restored much to its former glory, the town had sprung back up and the citizens stranded in Traverse Town had returned.

Unbeknownst to Riku, DiZ was also experiencing a wave of nostalgia. His was just as unpleasant as Riku's if not more so. It all felt familiar to him, but not at first; it was like walking in a dream for him, he couldn't quite believe he was here.

Riku rested is hand on DiZ's shoulder gently, jolting him out of his reverie. "Where do we go from here?"

"I think Namine knows who to contact." He replied with a smile.

Namine nodded ever so slightly. She did know who to go to, after all she did have Kairi's memories. She remembered Leon, and Yuffie, and Aerith, and Cid. But this town was new to her, locating them would be difficult.

DiZ could not help but smile. The layout of the town was coming back to him after almost ten years. It still felt strange to be back, though. He never thought he would be back before he had exacted his revenge. But plans change. Roxas' revival threw a monkey wrench into everything he had carefully laid out.

Namine moved to the head of the group and motioned for the others to follow. They neared the center of town, their strange dress drawing suspicious looks from the townspeople. A man wrapped head to toe in red bandages, a tall figure in a black cloak hiding his face, and a young girls in a plain white dress and sandals: not exactly the most normal bunch.

Namine stopped suddenly. The townspeople were running around madly. DiZ and Riku glanced at each other, guessing the cause of the chaos. DiZ pulled Namine back cloe to him and Riku produced Soul Eater. They stood for a moment, expecting Heartless to attack them.

A Soldier Heartless leaped seemingly out of nowhere. It was on top of them before they realized what happened, but a quick reaction from Riku sent the Heartless spiraling away. A followup slash destroyed it.

"Look out!" Namine called out to Riku. Too late. A Large Body Heartless slammed into him, throwing him away from DiZ and Namine. The Heartless then turned on them. Riku scrambled to his feet, but ti was too late: the Heartless was already charging at DiZ and Namine, and they were unable to get out of the way in time.

Then a figure ran up behind them, leaped into the air, and brought down his blade on the Heartless, splitting it in two. Riku reached DiZ and Namine as the Heartless vanished and the figure stood up.

The man had shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes. A scar ran diagonally across the bridge of his nose. He wore a short leather jacket with small red wings on the back, and a red symbol on the left sleeve. His jacket was lined with fur. Perhaps the most unique part of the man was his blade, it resembled a cross between a sword and a revolver. A gunblade.

"Leon." Namine whispered.

"You people should be more careful around here," He warned. The warning was gruff but underneath it was genuine. "The Heartless still keep popping up all over the place." He shouldered the gunblade and turned his head and Riku rejoined DiZ and Namine. "You know, I don't remember seeing any of you around before..." He looked them over carefully.

"We just got back here," Riku offered. "With the world coming back together, we just arrived. We didn't know about the Heartless." It wasn't very convincing. Namine sighed, and DiZ chuckled a little. Leon wasn't buying it, but didn't press any further. Instead he turned back to Namine.

"You look familiar, like someone else I know." He furrowed his brow in contemplation. "And yet, you aren't that person."

Namine merely shook her head. "We're friends of Sora and - "

"Sora! Why didn't you just say so! How is he?"

"Well see..."


	6. At the Castle Doors

**Author's Note: **Wow, its been quite a while since I last updated anything here. To anyone who awaited the next chapter, I apologize, and here it is. Roxas Chronicles Chapter Six.

**Disclaimer:** Nothing in the story is mine...

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Chapter Six: At the Castle Doors

The Corridor of Darkness opened and closed, depositing Roxas and Axel outside a large castle. Pillars jutted up on either side in near rows. Statues rested on top of them.

"I've been here before," Roxas said absently.

"You have?" Axel exclaimed. "I haven't…" he sounded a little hurt, but Roxas didn't notice.

"Yeah, with Xaldin." Roxas said more sure of himself than before. "Before I left the Organization." He started walking toward the castle, leaving Axel to quickstep to catch up.

"What did you guys do here?" Axel folded his hands behind his head. He observed the castle. It was big, but not _that_ big. The Castle That Never Was was much bigger. He smiled. Even Castle Oblivion was bigger. He shook his head, he didn't like thinking about that place, not after what happened…

"…Axel!" Roxas had to shout to get Axel's attention.

"Sorry," Axel offered, scratching his head. "What were you saying?"

Roxas exaggerated a sigh. Axel grinned. "I was just saying that Xaldin and I were sne there to arrange for capture of a powerful Heartless and Nobody."

"What kind?"

"I don't know, I left after my part was complete." He pointed at the castle. "We'' just have to ask Xaldin."

The two made to enter the castle. The reached the grand stairs leading to the large doors when a group of Shadows materialized around them. Roxas summoned the Keyblade and Axel his Chakrams as the Shadows leaped at them. The Heartless were weak and easily dealt with.

"What are they doing? Xaldin's supposed to be in control of them here?" Roxas exclaimed.

"Maybe he's napping?" Axel offered with a grin. He thought it was funny. If Roxas thought so, he didn't show it.

"Still…" He looked up at the castle again. What kind of being lived in the castle that would produce a Heartless and Nobody powerful enough to send Xaldin, a senior member, after it? And why were the Heartless attacking fellow Organization members? He was so deep in though that he didn't see the Neoshadow materialize and leap at him.

"Roxas!" Axel shouted, but he couldn't react fast enough. Roxas looked down in time to see a lance shoot down out of the air and impale the Heartless. It took him a moment to realize what just happened. Then he realized who it must be.

"Xaldin!" He spun around and there was Xaldin hovering off the ground surrounded by five of his six lances.

"Hello Sora, Axel." Xaldin said as the sixth lance returned to him, then vanished along with the others. He dropped down to stand on the ground. "What are you two doing here?"

"Is that all we get?" Axel demanded. Xaldin glanced in his direction but, seeing Axel grinning, turned back to Roxas. "Xemnas sent us, said you needed some help." Axel said before Roxas could.

"I don't need your help." Xaldin walked past them. "You can go back." He dismissed them with a wave of his arm.

"If you don't need help, why did those Heartless attack us?" Roxas asked flatly. Xaldin stopped. "I thought you had control of the Heartless here, now that Maleficent was dead?"

"I do," Xaldin said coolly without turning. "But you brought the Keyblade with you. You know how much they hate it."

"But I thought they were afraid of it." Axel offered. Roxas shot him a look. "Wouldn't they stay away from it and its weilder?"

"Yes, but they must not think of Roxas as much of threat." Xaldin chuckled. Axel grinned wide. Roxas didn't think it was so funny, but said nothing. When Xaldin was finished, he spoke again.

"Then you got the Hearltess and Nobody you were sent to get?"

Xaldin straightened up. "I'm working on it." There was a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Maybe the three of us could work on it, then?" Axel moved forward. "Work smart not hard, eh?"

Xaldin huffed. "That might be the smartest thing you have ever said." He looked way. "All right, come on then." Roxas followed, but Axel lagged.

"Hey what do you mean 'ever'?"

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	7. Bastion of Hope

**Author's Note:** This chapter's a bit longer than the previous ones, and sorry, I realize that I'm humping around every chapter, but please bare with me. I'm going to try and write longer chapters, but I can't promise anything.

**Disclaimer:** Nothing is mine. I would be rich if it was.

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**Chapter Seven: Bastion of Hope**

"So, you're the FAMOUS Riku?" the man named Cid clapped the hooded figure that was Riku on the back and grinned. Leon had led DiZ, Namine and Riku to the house of a man named Merlin, who turned out to be a sorcerer.

"Famous?" Riku kept his hood up, knowing that his form was that of the man that destroyed many worlds. He also knew he came form this particular world.

"Hell yeah! Ever since he washed up in Traverse Town, all that kid ever did talk about was finding you and, uh, that girl… what was her name? She came here for a while, but…" Cid pulled back his hand and scratched his chin.

"Kairi? Kairi was here?"

"Yeah! That's the one!" Cid grinned again. Then his eyes were drawn to Namine. "You know, you kinda remind me of that girl. What'd you say you name was?"

Namine's eyes widened. "Namine. I don't think I've ever met this Kairi person," She looked quickly as DiZ who remained as stoic as ever. Cid shrugged and leaned against the wall.

"So, you're all friends of Sora?" Leon asked again so that the ninja girl, and the girl in the pink dress could hear.

"That's right." Namine answered. "He met us out there in another world, one called Castle Oblivion." She indicated DiZ, as well as herself.

"Castle Oblivion… That sounds familiar, but I don't ever remember going to that world, do any of you?" Yuffie, Aerith, and Cid all shook their heads. "Sorry. Does that mean Sora finally found you, Riku?"

Riku shifted uncomfortably in his stance. What should he tell them? That he fought Sora over Kairi's Heart he contained? That he opened himself up to the Darkness and became Ansem? "We…found each other. In Twilight Town. Another world." He said plainly.

"Another world…wow, Sora did a lot of adventuring without us, huh?" Yuffie sounded a little hurt.

"But where is he now?" Aerith asked. Riku had been dreading the question since they arrived. What could they say?

"He vanished." Namine answered before he could.

"Donald and Goofy, too?"

"Yes."

"How?" Leon butted in quickly, more than a little suspicious.

"We don't know. That's why we came here. He went off and never came back." Namine sounded confident, more than Riku would have thought. So confident in fact, that Leon, Cid, Yuffie, and Aerith believed her.

"Just vanished, huh? Sounds like what happened to the worlds. Do you think maybe that Heartless got to him?" Yuffie was worried now.

"No way! Sora's too strong for the Heartless to git to 'im! Besides, he's got the Keyblade!" Cid declared loudly. While raising everyone's hope briefly, it only made them think that something ELSE got to Sora, something stronger than the Heartless. "Ah, hell, I didn't mean it like that…"

"We know." Leon puzzled it all over in his mind. "Where could he have gone? It's not like him to just up and leave like that."

"That's why we came here: We were hoping that maybe you all could help us look for him." Namine was looking more and more like an expert liar to Riku; and he liked it.

"We'd love to, but… but we've got our hands full trying to rebuild the town. People keep showing up suddenly with no memory of where they were. And Heartless still pop up and try and undo everything!" Leon slammed his fist against the wall, frustrated over their poor situation. "Seems like we need you help, as well."

"Maybe we can help each other then." DiZ spoke for the first time. He stepped into the center of the room, commanding all attention in posture as well as in his voice. "At the very least, we need a place to stay and plan our search. Perhaps you can provide that. In exchange, we three are not terrible fighters, and I'm pretty handy with machinery." He nodded in the direction of the computer at the back of the room. "A device like that is a mere toy to me." All eyes were on him, listening to his every word. He loved the attention; he missed having it like back when he was… "So, we'll help you rebuild and defend this town, and you'll let us stay here and help search for Sora."

"That's more than fair!" Cid declared after a moment of silent contemplation. "We got plenty of space up in the castle! And we sure as hell need some help with Ansem's computer!" Riku saw the slightest change in posture in DiZ at the mention of Ansem's computer. "Having a few extra hands around will make the rebuilding go by faster, and then we can find Sora!"

Leon looked to Yuffie, then to Aerith. Both nodded. "All right. We'll help each other then. Let me go see if I can find a room in the castle. Come with me." As he led the three out Cid hollered something.

"Hey, you! You in the red bandages, you said you knew about computers and machines?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"Well, you min giving me a hand with this old thing real quick-like?"

"Of course."

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Riku and Namine stood on a balcony that opened from both of their rooms. The sun was setting far off and the sounds of the Rising Falls could be heard far below. "Where'd you learn to lie like that?"

"I didn't lie." Namine said plainly. "I just didn't tell them everything." She looked at him. Hard. "Its true that we don't know where Roxas went off to. And we DID meet him in Castle Oblivion. I just twisted the truth." She looked away, resting her arms on the balcony. "If we told them the truth, they wouldn't trust us."

"Hmm." Riku considered that. "So we stay here in Hollow Bastion?"

"Until we have a better idea of what to do." Namine turned her head at Riku. "I know it must be weird to come back here, especially in that form."

"What? How'd you -?"

"I control Sora's memories, in case you forgot." He actually had. He stared into the sunset, but turned back after feeling Namine tap on his arm. When he looked at her, she reached up lowered his hood, revealing his – well, Ansem's – face to the sun.

"Remember: You aren't like him." She smiled, then turned and walked to her room.

* * *

I keep seeing The Roxas Chronicles being added as "alerts" and favorites, but I would like to hear your reviews so that I can fix anything I'm doing wrong or right.

Thank!


	8. Beauty and the Heartless

**Author's Note:** Well, here it is. Chapter Eight of the Roxas Chronicles. Thanks to everyone who reviewed it or fav'd it.

**Disclaimer: **I wish I owned all of this...

* * *

Chapter Eight: Beauty and the Heartless

Xaldin led Axel and Roxas through the empty halls of the Castle, large, vaulted passageways lit by candles placed at regular intervals. Elegant staircases and magnificent oil paintings punctuated the otherwise stark interior, but did little for the prevailing sense of loneliness.

As they rounded a corner, Xaldin stopped and held a hand up. After a moment he pushed them against the wall as a young woman paced by. She had long brown hair, wore a plain blue-and-white house dress, and even then could Roxas see how beautiful she was. "Locked in his room…" she muttered, disappearing from view. "…Where is everybody?" A door swung open beyond their sight, then swung closed and the lock caught. The three detached themselves from the wall and continued on.

"Who was that?" Axel asked after a moment, greatly impressed.

"The girl who could very well upset my plans," Xaldin said with a scowl.

"Her name's Belle," Roxas offered.

"Belle… Belle… that sounds familiar." Axel tapped his head thoughtfully.

"She's a Princess of Heart," Xaldin told him. Axel nearly stopped in his tracks. Roxas bumped him on his way past.

"Your jaws hanging."

"Wait, so… Aha! You're keeping her away from the guys whose Heartless and Nobody you're trying to get, right?"

"Basically." Xaldin never broke stride or looked back at Axel, who found this slightly annoying.

"C'mon answer my questions with more than just a single word! I mean, it's really – ah!" Xaldin was suddenly in Axel's face, six lances hovering in the air around him.

"You talk far too much, Axel," Xaldin was obviously trying to intimidate Axel, but after the initial surprise, Axel stood unwavering, meeting Xaldin's glare. Roxas watched for a moment until Xaldin's lances vanished with a burst of light. "Watch yourself, Number VIII." He turned and led them away.

As they continued, Axel made a point of making faces at Xaldin behind his back. Roxas struggled to keep from bursting out laughing. At one point Xaldin sighed, but never looked back. Finally, Xaldin stopped beside a seemingly plain door. "Here."

"Here, what?" Axel demanded, making Xaldin snarl soundlessly at him.

"Here is where the man is keeping himself. The man whom we are trying to take his Heartless and Nobody from." Without waiting for a response from Axel, he opened the door. The room was small; chairs lay broken in corners, paintings and curtains hung slashed. And at the far end of the room _something_ sat hunched over. It was large and brown, with horns on its head and a long, purple cape. It was muttering something to itself.

"Xaldin, is that you?" it asked, tuning slightly back so that Roxas and Axel could see part of its face.

"Yes, I am here."

"Have you seen Belle?"

"Yes, I have. But she does not want to see you."

A great eye lowered sadly, and turned back. Xaldin led the other two closer to the Beast, allowing for a better view of what he was hunched over. It was a rose suspended in the air, with a glass jar over it. Several petals had fallen off. The Beast placed an arm between it and the three Nobodies protectively, possessively.

"Easy, my friend," Xaldin soothed like a serpent, "I do not want your rose, I only wish to help you."

The Beast glanced suspiciously at Roxas and Axel, and Xaldin gave them a signal to leave. Roxas left without a word, but axel grumbled the whole way out. When the door shut behind him he elevated his complaints to a vocal level. "What the hell? He brings us here to help, then sends away? Come on, that's not cool."

"Well, nothing else we can do here," Roxas shrugged, sitting on the floor.

"Well, we could go have a look around. Since this castle's basically gonna belong to the Organization anyway, might as well learn the layout." He pulled Roxas to his feet and led him off a random hallway. They became disoriented very quickly, as all the hallways looked the same, albeit with different paintings, but they were not looking at them. Roxas was impressed with the size of the castle, but felt it paled in comparison to the Castle That Never Was.

"Sora?" a voice came from behind them. Roxas spun around; it was Belle.

"I'm not Sora," he said lowly and fiercely.

"Oh, sorry, you just looked so much like him…" she trailed off, looking around. "Oh, have either of you seen the Prince around?" Apparently she did not find two strangers in Black Cloaks wandering around the castle strange at all.

"The Prince?" Axel sort of pushed Roxas out of the way in order to get closer to Belle. "There's a prince around here?" He sounded almost disappointed.

"Yes, but…he doesn't look like a prince; he looks more like a… a…"

"A beast?"

"Yes! Have you seen him?"

Axel glanced back at Roxas, unsure of what to do now. "You were hitting on her, you figure it out," Roxas whispered quickly.

"I wasn't hitting on her!" he whispered back.

"Only 'cause you didn't get a chance!" Axel made a face and was about to say something when two voices could be heard from down the hall.

"…reasonable, Your Highness. She said she didn't wish to see you…" Xaldin.

"I must here this for myself, Xaldin." The Beast.

Axel's previous face was replaced with a momentary panic, if Belle meets the Beast, it might render all of Xaldin's work null and void. His Chakrams appeared in his hands, as did Roxas's Keyblade. They nodded to each other.

"Oh, there he is – ah!" Axel grabbed Belle round the middle and carried her down the rest of the hall to where he guessed her room was. He was right. Roxas flung the door open, Axel threw her in, shut the door, and stepped back. Roxas pointed the Keyblade at the keyhole of the door; a beam of light extended from the end of the Keyblade to the keyhole. The sound of a lock clicking into place could be heard. Xaldin and the Beast came around the corner as their weapons vanished.

"Is she in there?" the Beast demanded. Roxas and Axel nodded dumbly. A faint mumbling along with a soft pounding emanated form the room. "What is she saying? Xaldin?"

"Can't you here her, Your Highness?" Xaldin was doing everything he could to keep the Beast on his side, even placating his Royal Ego.

"No. Can you?"

"Of course. I am the Whirlwind Lancer. Wind obeys my command, and I command it to carry the sound to my ears."

"Tell me what she is saying."

Xaldin paused for a moment, as if listening to the wind. Even a child could tell that he was not doing anything except concocting his own speech, but the Beast was blinded by anger. Only then did Roxas notice a figure floating above the Beast: a large, spherical creature with horns, and chains draped around it. A Heartless. Roxas nudged Axel and pointed to it; his eyes widened. "Shadow Stalker." He mouthed. Then Roxas understood. The Beast was on the verge of Darkness, only Belle's Light could save him at this point, and Xaldin was working on pushing over the edge.

Finally he spoke. "She, she says that," he paused, as if not wanting to deliver the bad news, "That she no longer wishes to see you. That you are a monster, a beast, and that she never loved you." With these words, the Beast began breathing heavily, looking at his hands, and muttering to himself.

"No…she…never…but, she said…no…Belle…AH!" he slammed his mighty hands (paws) into the floor, causing the wood to crack, leaving two rather large indents. His teeth bared, he screamed (roared), turned, and fled.

"After him!" Xaldin shouted, and the three raced after the Beast. Unable to keep pace with a creature that could use four limbs to move, they fell behind.

"Where's he going?" Roxas asked.

"Just follow me!" They ran down halls and stairways. Lesser Heartless and Nobodies detached themselves from the shadows and raced along with them. Shadows, Neoshadows, Dragoons, Dusks. Roxas even spotted an Assassin or two, and found himself wondering if could still command his Samurai Nobodies. But now was not the time.

Their chase came to end in a massive ballroom. It was round, at least a hundred feet in diameter with tall columns that raised up to support a finely painted ceiling depicting cherubs and angels. In the center of the floor lay the Beast, above him, the Shadow Stalker Heartless. After they entered, a loud cry shook the room and the chains fell away from the Shadow Stalker. It began to grow in size, falling to the floor beside the Beast. When it stopped, it was the size of the Beast, crawled on four limbs, had a cape-like appendage that was red, and shuffled about nervously. A Dark Thorn.

The Beasts body squirmed, then fell still. Darkness seeped up form the floor and engulfed the body. Then it flattened, and vanished. Leaving the three Nobodies alone with the Dark Thorn, the Beast's Heartless. The Dark Thorn lunged at them, but Xaldin's lances knocked it back and pinned it to the floor.

"Oh, no you don't. Not after all the work I went through to get you," he taunted the thing. He produced a chain from his robes, similar to the one around the Shadow Stalker, and tied it around the Heartless's neck. "Come on now, you're coming with me."

"Where'd the body go?" Axel asked without thinking. "Never mind, Twilight Town, right?" Xaldin nodded. "Xemnas gonna be there to pick it up?" Xaldin nodded again. "Then I guess we're done here." Xaldin nodded a third time. "Can you at least say something?" But he was already gone; a Corridor of Darkness opened up, swallowed him and the Dark Thorn, and closed. "Damn." He looked back at Roxas. "Not bad for a first mission back, huh?" Roxas smiled politely. Axel nodded, opened a Corridor of Darkness, and stepped inside.

Roxas waited a moment longer, thinking briefly of the woman they left locked away in her own room. He shook his head, chuckled, then stepped through the Corridor back to the Castle That Never Was.

* * *

  
Please R&R like always!


	9. Ansem's Computer

**Author's Note:** Chapter nine! Thanks to everyone for their positive reviews, or else I might not have had the heart to continue. But that would make me a heartless... hmm.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own ANYTHING in this story aside from plot.

* * *

**Chapter Nine: What Was Said by the Computer**

Naminé awoke slowly the nest morning, wondering if it had all been a dream. When she found herself not in the White Room in the Twilight Town Mansion, it became painfully obvious: Sora was lost, and their only chance for defeating the Organization with him. With a great sigh she let herself fall back into bed. Things were only going to get harder from here, as if dealing with DiZ and Riku wasn't hard enough.

Riku…

She slid out of bed a few minutes later, and slipped on her simple white dress, only vaguely aware of the thin fabric over her skin, stepped into her sandals, and opened the doors that led onto the large balcony she shared with Riku. Riku was already awake and leaning over the edge, looking down at the small town. Only…

"Riku?"

Riku turned to face her, revealing his boyish face with a strip of cloth tied around his eyes. He smiled, Naminé did not.

"What?" he asked, the smile fading from his face.

"You're hiding again." Naminé closed the distance between them.

"What are youi talking about?"

"This." She tugged lightly on the blindfold. "I thought you were past this."

"I did, too," he admitted. "But when we do bring Sora back, I don't want him to see me like that." A breeze picked up, tossing his purple-gray hair to one side. Underneath the cloth Naminé could tell his eyes were glued to the floor. "But, it's more than that," he continued. "I can't bare to see myself that way. I just… can't."

"Riku," Naminé whispered sympathetically. Her hand reached out and stroked the side of his face. The contact brought his eyes up and he could see her through the blindfold. His own hand came up and pressed hers against his face. Naminé smiled.

"Ahem." Both quickly jerked their heads around to where the sound came from. Leon stood in the doorway to Riku's room, arms crossed, eyes closed. How long had he been standing there? Riku felt Naminé's hand slide out of his and off his face.

"Can I help you?" Riku asked, feeling his face turn red even as he fought it.

"Your friend sent me to get you two."

"Friend?

"Yeah, uh…DiZ. He said to wait until you were both up."

"How… thoughtful of him," Naminé remarked. Riku was thinking the same thing as her: that DiZ would sooner shove them both out of bed than wait for them to wake up. This was unlike him.

"Uh… yeah," Leon scratched his head. "He's up in the castle; he wants you two to meet him there." Something else was on his mind. "Hey, uh, listen.. You two, you were really friends of Sora's?"

"That's right." Naminé smiled warmly. "Oh, I don't think we introduced ourselves. My name is Naminé." Riku shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

"Naminé…" Leon put two fingers to his forehead as he contemplated in a way that was all his own. "No, sorry, I don't remember him saying anything about you. But you look familiar."

"Yeah, I get that a lot," she (falsely) admitted with a giggle. This seemed to put Leon at ease, at least until he shifted his focus to Riku.

"I don't think I got your name, either."

"…Riku." He said reluctantly.

"Riku… Riku… Riku!" Leon exclaimed. "You mean that Riku? The Riku Sora was so intent on finding?"

"Yeah."

"I guess he found you after all, huh? But there was someone else he was looking for, wasn't there? … Kairi! He brought her here to keep her safe, but she… shat happened to her?"

"Sora got her home safely," Naminé assured him,

"So, where's Sora?"

"We lost rack of him after he defeated Ansem, and so we -."

"He defeated Ansem? Sora?" Riku nodded. "Wow, that kid had more strength than I thought."

"Will you show us to the castle now, please?" Naminé inquired sweetly.

"Huh? Oh, uh… sure."

-

"…Infernal machine. You're more trouble than you're worth… There! I've overridden the MCP and assumed full control of the computer." DiZ straightened up after hunching over the keyboard and monitor for the last two hours, trying desperately to bypass his own security measures. It seems that during his absence the Master Controlr Program had assumed command of the machine itself and its data processes. No one else could have counter-hacked the device aside from him.

"Well now, that's something Mr. Disc. That computer is a heckuva lot more complex than the one I got back at Merlin's place," Cid admitted from off to one side.

"That's because this one was designed by a vastly superior intellect," DiZ muttered under his breath.

"You say som'in?"

"No, no."

"Well, alright."

DiZ turned back to the computer and folded over once more.

Minutes later the door slid open and Leon, Riku, and Naminé entered. Riku was sporting that ridiculous blindfold he had fashioned for himself after Castle Oblivion, and then cast off in order to retrieve Roxas. While he detested the idea of the blindfold (hiding from a part of yourself) he secretly was glad to see him in this form, rather than that of his former apprentice, Xehanort.

"Good, you're up," was all he managed in the way o a greeting. He stayed focused on the monitor as his fingers flew over the keyboard, accessing encrypted data and restricted files that had lain dormant for over ten years. At one point he came across a series of reports entitled the "Ansem Reports", all thirteen of them apparently written by his hand, though he only penned the first. Xehanort wrote the rest. He had already gone over them many times. Everything written in them was his research. But Xehanort stole it. Just like he stole his name.

"You're pretty skilled with that computer there," Leon observed coldly, crossing his arms.

"I've come across one or two machines like this in my travels," DiZ replied, either not hearing or ignoring the accusation in Leon's voice. He stayed focused on the computer, so he did not see Leon move next to him.

"No, I don't think you have." DiZ stopped typing and glanced sideways at Leon. "This computer was designed by a man named Ansem a long time ago. He's dead now; you're friend Sora killed him." DiZ straightened up again and flicked his eyes over to Naminé and Riku. They avoided eye contact. "So, you're going to tell me who you are." Leon's Gunblade seemed to materialize in his hands. He was apparently undaunted by the fact that DiZ was at least a foot taller.

DiZ grinned darkly. He studied Leon for a moment before, "I have told you already: I am a friend of Sora."

"Then how did you know about the passwords for this computer?"

"Sora recovered fragments of the man you call Ansem's research. One such paper was entirely on this computer: passcodes, encryption keys, hidden files. Even a schematic of the actual machine was included." He produced a series of papers from within the folds of his robes and presented them to Leon for reviewing. He took them gruffly and looked them over. Riku and Naminé exchanged worried glances. Leon handed the papers back to DiZ a few minutes later without another word. Cid appeared and clapped him on the back.

"There, see? They seem like genuine folks, eh?" He grinned at DiZ and shook Leon gently until he received a reluctant grunt.

"Yeah, I guess you're alright."

"Good. C'mon then, let's go grab the girls. We gotta go over the town defense grid anyways, and we can only do that from Merlin's house."

Leon hesitated. "Yeah. We'll be back in a bit. Try not to break anything."

"I'll do my best," DiZ grinned mockingly as Cid led Leon away.

"He doesn't trust you, that much is obvious," Riku said once they were gone.

"I wouldn't trust me either." DiZ turned back to the computer again and resumed typing with his earlier vigor. "That's why he'll be a good ally. Trust won't come naturally; it will have to be earned."

"And the town defense grid is part of that trust…how?" Riku asked over DiZ's shoulder as he accessed Cid's computer remotely.

"This defensive grid is meant to help in ridding the town of any Heartless that may show up. But, as you can see, it is woefully inefficient, weak, slow, and easily hacked. If I happen to upgrade their programs, so that it responds faster and harder, they might appreciate the results."

"Wouldn't hacking their systems make them more suspicious of us?" asked Naminé as she joined the other two.

"Perhaps," DiZ admitted.

"But using it to benefit them…" Riku muttered. "Aside from Leon, they seemed like a nice bunch. And even he can't be too bad if Sora was able to put up with him." Naminé nudged him from behind. "At the very least they would be grateful."

"And then they would be more willing to help us search for Roxas, since he is probably being sent around on missions to prove his loyalty to the Organization. With those four, the chance of spotting him increases. They seem capable enough."

"So, what do we do? Riku and I?" Naminé asked.

"You wait until I give you orders." With that, they were through talking. He would hear no more from them, he had work to do. Riku sighed and gestured at the door. Naminé nodded. "Tron?" He spoke into the microphone he hooked into a terminal. "It is I, Ansem. And I have returned."

"It has been a long time, sir." A static voice said back.

"Too long. I have a job for you."

-

"Move, Paine!"

"Stop shoving, Rikku!"

"Well then move!"

"Shut up, both of you!" Yuna silenced her cohorts. "They'll hear us." Paine shifted her position so Rikku could got closer to the grating separating them from the computer room below. Down there, DiZ, Riku, and Naminé were talking.

"No! He can't be!" Rikku covered her mouth in shock."

"He's… Ansem?" Paine looked at Yuna.

"That's what he said… and the computer is listening to him."

"So, what now? Yuna?" Rikku asked the leader of the Gullwings.

"This could be valuable information. Someone will want it. So we wait, and gather as much as we can, then sell it to the highest bidder." Their earlier treasure hunting forgotten the three tiny Gullwing thieves settled in to hear what Ansem had to say to Tron.

An unseen door opened and shut as Riku and Naminé left.

-

Diablo cawed softly as he circled the former Hollow Bastion. It was no longer empty, Leon and his gang had cleared it out and moved in once the town came back. It would never be his master's again.

Not discouraged, Diablo banked away and followed a path out of town through a break in the wall to a range of crystalline mountains. The path was narrow and serpentine, an exhaustive effort to traverse on foot, but no problem from the air. The path widened to a great maw in the crystal that ended at a cliff that dropped off suddenly into the dark depths below. A crooked, rundown castle occupied the valley below. Four or five unstable towers reached up to the sky. Diablo circled the derelict construct once before flying back to the cliff.

A tall, dark robed figure awaited his perch.

"Thank you, Diablo. This will suffice for now. Pete!"

"Yes Maleficent?"

"Gather everything from that old wizard's tower and bring back here to this castle."

"Right away, Maleficent. Don't go nowhere." A Dark Cooridor opened up and swallowed Pete.

* * *

Please R&R as always!


	10. The Previous Day

Chapter Ten: **The Previous Day…**

Hayner, Pence, and Olette were relaxing in their favorite spot: a closed off section of a back alley. No one had used it or claimed ownership since they had first discovered it, so it was theirs to use as they saw fit.

"Well, that was a total waste, not one of the spots we checked out was haunted," Pence complained over his sea-salt ice cream.

"It will at least make an interesting report," Olette said.

"Somehow I doubt that," Hayner muttered, not altogether present.

"Hayner? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, you seem really distant today."

"Oh…really?"

Uh-huh," they answered in unison.

"I'm fine, just…tired, I guess." His arm hung limp as his sea-salt ice cream melted away, untouched. Pence and Olette exchanged a look. "It just feels like something is missing. Something we never saw before, and now it's gone. You know?"

They shook their heads. "Maybe you're just nervous about school starting up again?" Olette offered.

"Maybe…hey!"

Someone had appeared in the entrance to the Usual Spot. He was short, barely reaching four feet tall. And that was _with_ the ears, two round discs on top of his head, forming a curious V-shape that none of them was likely to forget.

"Sorry kids, I don't mean to intrude, but I'm looking for someone." His voice was abnormally high pitched, his face very much like a mouse's…was that a tail?

"Who?" Olette asked sweetly.

"A boy – about you age – " he indicated Hayner, "with really spiky blond hair. And bright blue eyes." Only then did Hayner notice the stranger's clothing: a simple black robe. Or was it a cloak? Strange, either way.

"What's his name?" Pence asked.

"Sora." Hayner perked up; that name sounded familiar, but why? He didn't know anyone by that name. A cursory glance at Pence and Olette told him that they felt the same.

"No, sorry. We don't know anyone like that," Pence apologized. "But we will look out for him."

"Thanks. If you do see him, I'll be at the train station. Send him that way." He waved and left.

"Does that name sound familiar to either of you?" Hayner asked quietly.

"No." Pence turned ack to his ice cream, finding it beginning to melt away. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason." Now he knew what he was missing: a person. There had never been a fourth person in their group, but now it felt like their had bee. Only he was missing. "You're my friend, aren't you? I can't believe I've forgotten you…Roxas."

Olette gave him a strange look.

-

King Mickey paced the ground in front of the Twilight Town train station. Something was wrong; Sora should be awake by now. DiZ promised it would only be a week now that they had Roxas.

DiZ… Mickey mourned the loss of his friend. After almost a decade of planning his revenge, Ansem the Wise had completely forsaken his former life. He was now consumed by rage, no longer the kind and gentle ruler he had been when the World Barriers first came down.

The clock tower chimed seven times. Seven o'clock. Way too late. Something must have gone wrong, but where was Riku? Surely he at least would have come to inform him of disaster. Unless…

A wave of fear washed over Mickey, signaling his Keyblade to appear in his hand. It must be the Organization's doing. Abandoning his stealth, the King raced down Market Street. He blazed through the Tram Common, ignoring the curious looks of passerbys. The Forest. Mickey bounded from tree to tree, shaving off precious seconds that could potentially be valuable ahead. The threes ended abruptly and the Mansion loomed only a few yards ahead. He burst through the gates and then the front door.

Silence.

Emptiness.

Mickey did not sense anyone else in the building, but then he wouldn't be able to if they were wearing Cloaks like his, so he set out exploring the top level anyway. All the rooms were empty, even the White Room, where Naminé usually resided. With the first and second levels clear, it was time to examine the basement. The secret entrance in the library was already revealed.

Someone had evidently left in a hurry.

Or they were still here.

The basement lab was just as deserted as the rest of the mansion. The steady hum of electric wires was present throughout the whole sublevel, like as invisible presence. Watching. Waiting. Seductive. DiZ's monitor station was empty, though all of the computers continued to function, showing an image of Sora and a flashing [100% COMPLETE] icon. Below that was another, red icon [CRITICAL FAILURE].

The transfer device to the Digital Twilight Town was still functioning, but he resisted the urge to visit it. Just to see. "What happened here?" Down the hall, he could see two Memory Pods. Inside slept… "Donald! Goofy!" He rushed to his old friends. Both appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Why hadn't they woken up with Sora? Unless Sora never woke up either. "I'll get you out of there, I promise."

There was nothing left here. No signs of a struggle, and no clues to suggest where DiZ and the others went. It was all so frustrating! In an uncharacteristic bout of anger, King Mickey turned on the monitor system and smashed in every one of the screens. The flashing lights ceased, and the low hum quit. The whole room was taken over by an uncomfortable silence. Collecting himself, Mickey exited the Mansion.

"Where do I go now?" He glanced skyward in pleading and saw a dark dot in the sky. Of course: his old Master!

-

The ghost train pulled into the Twilight Station to its own private platform. Mickey was the sole passenger boarding. No one ever gave him or the train a second glance, which made him wonder if they could even see the train, or if it was disguised. As the train pulled away, movement outside on the platform made him turn and look: the three kids from earlier raced into view, one apparently leading the other. They stopped and looked curiously at the train before waving a good-bye. Mickey returned the gesture.

A set of glowing tracks led the train off the main track, then into the air. The whole world stretched beneath the phantom locomotive. Not much later, the tracks led the train through a shimmering doorway into the sky. On the other side, a pitch-black, star speckled canvas replaced the golden-orange sky of twilight. The train came to a halt beside a lone patch of land floating high above the highest clouds of Twilight Town. Here, Mickey disembarked.

A solitary tower climbed up to the dark starscape, dominating the view. A crooked and bent tower, it would have (and probably should have) fallen over in any number of ways many years ago, but Yen Sid's magic kept it up, however haphazardly. Mickey was preparing the questions he was going to ask Master Yen Sid when he saw a large figure leaning against the tower's front doors, face pressed up to a barely open entrance.

"Pete?" Mickey exclaimed, and then dove into the bushes. What was going on here? Pete was supposed to be imprisoned in another dimension. He should not have been able to escape at all, let alone by himself. Then he saw dark figures rise up from the ground. Heartless! At first Mickey thought that the Heartless were going to attack Pete. If they had, he probably would have ran to his old foe's aide. This however, was not the case. Instead, Pete shouted orders at them, and, amazingly, they obeyed. Only one person had been able to have such control over the Heartless. Well, two, but both were dead…right?

Not wanting to risk a confrontation with Pete or the Heartless, Mickey drew the Black Cloak tight, summoned his strength, and opened a Corridor of Darkness. He put up his hood and stepped in, letting the darkness enfold him.

-

The other end of the Corridor opened up to Yen Sid's chamber on the top floor of the tower. His concern lessened (as his surprise heightened) when none other than king Mickey stepped forth and threw back his hood. "What a surprise, Your Majesty. To what do I owe this unexpected visit?"

"Please, Master, you know you don't have to use such formalities with me."

"In any case, what brings you here?"

Mickey gave him an incredulous look. "Master, Pete is outside your Tower."

"Yes, I am aware of this."

"And he is giving orders to Heartless."

"I am also aware of this. Did you come all this way to warn me?" he chuckled.

"Well, yes, Master. Doesn't that worry you?"

"Not particularly, no. Pete is an amateur. He was all those years ago, and his imprisonment has done nothing to benefit him."

"But the Heartless – "

"The Heartless will not get above the first floor, not in this tower." This did little to assure the tiny king. "Something else troubles you?"

"It's just that," Mickey took to pacing the study, a nervous habit he was falling back into more and more these days. "Only Maleficent had been able to give the Heartless such commands. They followed her unquestioningly, because of her power. But now they're obeying Pete." He paused in his speech to look at his master, who appeared to be following. "Why would they do that?"

Yen Side grinned. "Is it that you cannot see the obvious, or that you refuse to see it?"

Mickey sighed. "I don't want to see it, Master, but its true, isn't it?"

"Yes, my young apprentice, it is true. It seems that she has returned or is returning." Right on cue, the door swung open and the three fairies Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather rushed in.

"Master Yen Sid!" they exclaimed. "She's back! She's back! That old witch is here! In there!" Yen Sid stood up and flicked a hand in the direction of the door. A spell flew forward, just in time to stop the door from flying open.

"There isn't much time, You Majesty. Time the girls and flee."

"But Master – "

"Go!"

"I can't take them all through a Corridor!"

"Then you will have to fight past the Heartless and Pete. Wait, before you go," he waved his hand again. "Take this with you." A Keyblade materialized out of the air. "You remember the Star Seeker, do you not?"

Mickey nodded. "I do master. And thank you." He took the weapon and started out the door. "Wait, Master I need to talk to you about Sora!"

"No time!"

"But – " The door slammed shut in his face. From inside he could hear a loud crash and two people talking."

"Come, Your Majesty! Let's not waste the chance Master Yen Sid has given us!"

"Right." With two Keyblades, Mickey and the three fairies raced down the staircase. Few Heartless were encountered on the way, and barely anything stronger than a Shadow or Soldier. Perhaps Pete wasn't as powerful as he once was. Even so, the Heartless problem should have been cleared up a year ago, with the sealing of the Door to Darkness. But, he supposed, that since he found a way to the Light, so had the Heartless. Once they cleared the entrance, they came face to face with Pete.

"Stand aside Pete." Mickey demanded, brandishing both Keyblades.

"Oh, that's a good one. You think you can get past me!" Pete's big belly jiggled as he laughed. "Not this times _Your Majesty_. Not while I have the Heartless under my control." He waved his arm and Shadows lifted up from the ground. They all rushed Mickey at once; a few swift strikes sent them flying away. "What?" Pete apparently expected that to be enough.

"I'll ask again Pete, move."

Pete opened his mouth to say something smart, but closed it quickly. "Fine, if you want to run away, be my guest. Maleficent is calling me up anyway." He pushed pat Mickey and the fairies and strode into the tower.

"Do you think he was bluffing, Your Majesty?"

"I don't know, but I don't want to find out." He pressed a button on his belt, and a Gummi ship slip up into view.

"What about Master Yen Sid?"

"He'll be just fine." Mickey assured them. If not, then we're all in more trouble then I thought.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Um... The thing with Hayner was more for fun than any real plot development. If I decide to do somehting with it, you'll know, but otherwise, it was just to be CLEVAR.


	11. Memories of Somebody

**Author's note:** Oh MAAAAAN has it been a long time since I've done this story. I...I don't even want to look at date of the last update because then I'll just be disappointed in myself. Anyway, part of the reason why it took so long is because 358/2 Days and Birth By Sleep have come out in America since I began this and I wanted to have completed both before continuing. Now that I have played the entire story so far (NO MORE PREQUELS NOMURA!) I have a better idea of where to drive the story. So, ***SPOILERS OMG*** for both Days and BBS...and KHII if you haven't played it. Which would be weird, considering this is an AU of KHII...anyway. Long-winded author's note...OVER.

* * *

**Chapter 11: Memories of Somebody**

_Roxas._

_What happened to you? So much has gone wrong is such a short time. You weren't supposed to exist. I know how harsh and unfeeling that sounds, but it's true; I wasn't supposed to exist, either. The two of us, Nobodies born from the same somebody…we shouldn't have existed, and yet we did. _

_Sora was supposed to wake up, Roxas, not you. You're the Nobody, the vessel for the Heart – Sora's heart. But that's not entirely true, is it? You're something more than just Sora's Nobody. You're something much greater. Still…_

_Don't you remember your promise to me? You promised to stop Xemnas, to destroy Kingdom Hearts and release all those captive Hearts I – we – collected for him. Remember? At the Twilight Town Train Station, after you…_

_Roxas.

* * *

_

Roxas stared absently at his sea-salt ice cream. Below him spread the expanse of Twilight Town, perpetually locked in sunset. He wasn't sure if the citizens of the town itself noticed this quirk of the world. He didn't think so because Hayner, Pence, and Olette had made references to night and day.

_No_, he reminded himself. _They weren't my friends. I was never with them. It wall a lie, a dream cooked up by DiZ_.

He'd been telling himself that for days now, but it still stung to realize that those seven days weren't real. Looking back on it, he rather enjoyed spending time with those three. Now as he sat with Axel on top of the Train Station Clock Tower, he missed them. _How can I miss something I never had?_

"Axel," he began.

"Hm? What is it, Roxas?"

"Ah, nothing."

Axel frowned and turned towards his friend. "Are you sure? You've seemed distant the last few days – more than usual, I mean." Roxas contemplated his ice-cream as it slowly melted away in his hands. A drop fell and landed on the pavement storied below. "You were wrong, you know. When you left the Organization? You said that no one would miss you. I missed you."

Roxas glanced up, gearing the sincerity in his words. "Was…Was there ever a girl in our group?"

"You mean Larxene?" Axel asked with an amused smile. "Sure, but she got here ass handed to her in Castle Oblivion by…" he stopped short of saying Sora's name, knowing how Roxas would react to that.

He didn't' seem to notice. "No, I mean in _our_ group. You, me, and a girl."

Slowly, very slowly, Axel shook his head. "No. It was always just you and me. Larxene was the only female member of the Organization – a shame really; she might have been attractive, but she was just so – "

"Then why do I remember there being a girl here with us?"

The question hung in the air for several long moments before Axel spoke further. "Well, DiZ had you in that computer world, didn't he? He erased all of you memories and gave you fake ones – at least for a week. Probably, it's a side effect of that. I'm sure it will wear off soon."

"That's the thing, Axel, it's not wearing off. In fact, it's getting worse. On the first day, I only barely remembered leaving the Organization. But ever since returning from Beast's Castle, I've been remembering things that – "

"Take it easy, kid." Axel put an assuring hand on Roxas' shoulder. "You're probably just stressed out. The mind plays tricks on us, especially when you've been put through what you have. Don't worry so much, Roxas. You're not old enough to be so stressed out." With a sigh, Axel continued. "If it worries you that much, you can always go see Saïx, though I don't know how much good that will do."

Roxas didn't respond. Instead, he stared at the space to his right where…someone used to sit. The girl with the dark hair. The girl who looked so much like Naminé.

* * *

DiZ stared up at the ruined form of Hollow Bastion. Well, ruined to him, compared to what it had been just a year ago, the castle was in relatively good order. But DiZ had spent ten times that long wandering the Realm of Nothingness and nothing was as he remembered.

It pained him greatly not to be able to march back inside and claim the position he had held with high regard for years, but thanks to his apprentices, that was impossible. "Xehanort." He said the name like a curse. "He stole everything from me: my castle, my world, my research, and even my name. I can't even properly undo all the damage he has done because everyone thinks _I_ caused it. Damn him. Whatever fate he received at the hands of Sora, it wasn't enough."

"Talking to yourself?" Riku appeared from nowhere, walking up next to DiZ. "That's not like you."

"Mind your own business, boy. This doesn't concern you."

"I think it does."

DiZ half turned around, glaring at Riku with his free eye. How he hated the form that the boy wore now – the form of Xehanort. It was only lucky, he supposed, that Riku was as ashamed of the form as DiZ was infuriated. As long as he kept the hood pulled up, they wouldn't have many problems. Even if he was a nosy little punk.

"Very well. If you can keep up." DiZ vanished into a Dark Corridor that rapidly closed. Riku had to run to make it through. On the other side, they were deep in Hollow Bastion. The basement levels.

"These were once the home of Xehanort's research," DiZ exposed without provocation. "He was only my apprentice for a year, but in that time he conducted such horrible research that he sunk my entire world into darkness, reducing it from the city of light, Radiant Garden, to the crumbling Hollow Bastion. He and five other of my apprentices betrayed me once I learned what they were doing. They threw me into the Realm of Nothingness, certain I would lose myself and fade away."

"But you didn't," Riku offered, not really paying attention. The hallways this deep were stark white with strange pale designs that pulsed occasionally. At the top of the walls ran a design that was obviously a chain. Light pulsed down the lengths to an unseen destination. It reminded him very much of Castle Oblivion.

"None of what you see here existed before the coming of Xehanort. I myself do not even know what this is all for." He stopped. "But it does not matter. This is not what I wanted to show you."

"Then why did you come here?"

DiZ opened another Corridor. "To remind myself of my rage."

Through the Corridor was the Computer room. "This is what I wanted to show you."

"But we've already seen this. This is Ans- Your computer."

"You haven't seen all there is to see, Riku." DiZ leaned over the terminal and typed in a series of passwords. "It seems my doppelganger isn't as brilliant as he thought he was. All of the passwords were the Princesses of Heart." _Or maybe I'm just more like him than I though._ The final password was "another". When that was entered, the wall in front of them moved – more like a window opened – to reveal a great hall that went deep into the earth and possible all the way to the top of the castle.

"What-What is that?" Riku had to take a step back in order to absorb the sheer scale of the room.

"That, is the Heartless Manufacturing Center."

"The what?"

"This is what my apprentices used to create the flood of Heartless that now threatens the worlds. You see, Heartless have always existed, just not in such great numbers. In fact, most of the species that exist now were created by my apprentices; you can tell which ones those are by the Emblem they wear."

Riku remembered seeing Heartless with emblems, but not any of the ones Maleficent gave him control over. He just always thought that they were stronger versions.

"Is it still in operation?"

"I don't think so. If it was, then this world would be overrun with Heartless by now and the efforts of that pathetic Restoration Committee would be for naught."

Riku noticed how he said "this world" instead of "my world" or "Radiant Garden"

"We should destroy it," Riku said finally.

"In time. For the moment, I wish to study it further." Without looking behind him, he imagined Riku's expression – on the boy's face, not Xehanort's. "Rest assured, I have no intention of creating an army of Heartless. They are what stole my life from me; I have no intention of allying with them."

"DiZ…what is it exactly that you want?"

"Why, I want to restore Sora, of course."

"No, I mean, what do you _really_ want out of this? Why do you want to bring Sora back?"

"I think…you already know the answer to that, don't you, Riku?"

"I had suspected, but I had never believed that you could be so cold. Sora isn't a tool, DiZ. We aren't tools for you to use in you revenge schemes."

DiZ whirled around. "Oh, but you are. And you will follow my orders if you wish to see your friend again. You might not like it, but the truth is you are _all_ tools for me to destroy the man that ruined my life. Sora is simply the most important. It just so happens than our enemies happen to be the same…thing. Xemnas and Organization XIII. They have your friend, which you want. They want Kingdom Hearts, which I know Sora will prevent, and I want Xemnas. You see, unless we cooperate, we cannot get what we want."

"Cooperate. You mean listen to you."

"If that is how you choose to view things, then yes, you will listen to me."

Riku considered attacking DiZ then and there, but knew just how much truth he spoke. Without another word, he disappeared into a Corridor of Darkness, leaving DiZ with a contented smile.

Turning back to the computer, he pressed the Return key, sending the final password "another" through the data stream. The floor of the Heartless Manufacturing Center hissed and opened to reveal a twisting ramp that went even deeper into the bedrock beneath the castle. Rather than waste time walking, DiZ simply stepped through a Corridor and to the edge of the pit. A cursory glance didn't reveal the bottom.

_No matter,_ he thought. With a casual wave of his hand, he opened a series of Corridors all along the ramps in pairs. That way, he could add more portals if he needed to. Even with the shortcut he had created, it took several minutes to reach the bottom, but not that he knew how deep it was, he could open a portal back to the top without no problems.

At the base of the ramp was another hallway similar to those found deep within Hollow Bastion. At the end of this hallway was a door that opened when he approached. The chamber was circular and stark white. In the center was a throne from which designs of chains reached out along the floor and up the falls, pulsing with energy. Nobody insignias decorated the empty spaces.

"So this is the Chamber of Repose," he mused. "I always wondered what they were talking about." DiZ walked around the throne and sat in it. To his disappointment, but not his surprise, nothing happened. Then he noticed something. Pieces of armor were gathered in a heap in front of the throne, bluish and feminine. Standing, DiZ thought, "Where have I seen that before?" Protruding from the armor is…

"A Keyblade." He touched the hilt gingerly before gripping it and drawing it from where it stuck in the floor. No, he didn't recognize the design. He couldn't remember where the armor had come from either. With a disdainful shrug, DiZ tossed the keyblade back onto the pile and turned away.

"I'll have to remember to clean this room out later." Without a backwards glance, he leaves.

* * *

"We finally have our Keyblade wielder, Saïx," Xemnas announced while admiring Kingdom Hearts from the Alter of Naught. "It cost us nearly half our numbers, including several of the original members and risking it all on a gambit that nearly failed – but he have him." He snorted. "Luxord must be having a field day right now."

"Indeed, sir. With a true Keyblade wielder under our control, Kingdom Hearts should be complete very soon."

"And then," Xemnas breathed, raising his hands to the heart-shaped moon. "And then I will be whole again." He clenched his fists around the moon, as if angry that he could not touch it. "Leave me, Saïx. Tend to the Castle."

With the slightest of frowns, Saïx said, "Of course," and vanished into a dark portal.

Xigbar was on Saïx almost before he exited the Corridor, throwing an arm around him. "Hey, buddy, how's the boss doing? Has he started waxing poetic yet? I figure that any day now I'm gonna find some really mushy poem about the moon laying around, only this time he can't blame it on Zexion."

Saïx roughly shoved him away. "Take your hand off of me. I am not your 'buddy' Xigbar, nor will I ever be. I work with you only because Xemnas orders it."

"Ah-ah-ah, you work _under_ me, moon-boy. Remember, I'm rank II; you are rank VII."

Fixing him with a cold stare, Saïx said, "Are you pulling rank on me, Freeshooter?"

"Ooo, calling me by my title, I like that. You should do that more often. Moon-boy." He smiled venomously, his one good eye daring the blue-haired berserker to challenge him. Only the fact that Saïx had no heart kept him from summoning Lunatic, his claymore and smashing in Xigbar's smug face. As it was, he turned and stomped away.

"Insufferable," he muttered.

"Man, that dude to chill out," Demyx called from his layed-out position on the couch. "Always so serious."

"He just knows what he wants, Demy," Xigbar called back. "He wants it and he's going to get it. No matter what. That's why it's our job to make it as difficult as possible for him."

"Yeah, but Xiggy, don't we all want the same thing: Kingdom Hearts?" He lazily plucked a tune on his sitar, Arpeggio.

"I get the feeling Saïx wants something more." Then he vanished in a flashed of pinkish energy.

"Aw man," Demyx moaned. "Why doesn't anyone want to hang out with me anymore? Zexion was the only one who actually liked my music; Axel's back with Roxas, and Xigbar's making Saïx's life hell."

"Is it because you're a pain in the ass?" Luxord called from across the room, playing a game of giant solitaire.

"That can't be it. At least Larxene took time out of her day to tell me how annoying I was." Thinking out the lost members made him shudder. "Although I do _not_ miss the way Marluxia used to look at me.

"What, with a wink and purse of his lips?" Luxord made a kissing sound.

"No!' Demyx sat up quickly to defend himself. "Like he was going to kill me."

"Trust me," Xaldin replied – he just happened to be walking by – "We all give you that look. You just never notice."

That was when Luxord fell to the ground, laughing. Demyx didn't get it. Xaldin kept right on going.

It was moments like these that the Organization members pretended that the still had Hearts and emotions. That they could laugh on their own without having to think about what was funny. Without wondering if this was how they had acted as a complete being.

A time to forget that they were Nobodies.

* * *

Saïx sat at Vexen's old computer, scanning through the files. Xemnas had long dismissed them as irrelevant now that the scientist was dead. Saïx thought otherwise. Vexen was genius, having perfected replica technology and memory transfer. Chances were, there was something in there that was interesting.

Besides, he would rather be doing this than being up with the other fools in the Organization.

He stopped on a folder entitle absent silhouette project.

"Interesting."

Maleficent sat snuggly in the seat once occupied by Yen Sid. With a single tap of her the butt of her staff on the floor, darkness spread outward, corrupting the tower into a dark and twisted version of itself.

Much better.

All of her plans had come to nothing. The Princesses had slipped from her grasp and the Heartless wrested from her control. The damned Ansem had used her as a _display of his own powers_. How insulting! But now he was dead, so she had the wretch, Sora, to thank for something, she supposed.

And now her only remaining minion was…Pete.

At least the Heartless still answered her call, and for that she was grateful. "I will have Kingdom Hearts," she assured herself. "I will rule all the worlds. Starting the one that sits below."

"Er, which one is that, Maleficent?" Pete asked, completely breaking the mood.

"Twilight Town."

* * *

Yen Sid staggered to the door of Castle Oblivion and leaned against it, not having the strength to open it. "Ventus," he muttered. "You're still here. That's good. But I don't know how to save you anymore. Sora's heart and your heart and now within the claws of my enemies."

He tried to stand, but failed. "I will…rest here…briefly…"

* * *

"…who are you?"

"Me?"

"Yes."

"I'm _."

"Hello, _. I'm Aqua."

"What is this place, Aqua?"

"This? This is the Realm of Nothingness. If you don't hold on to who you are, you fade away. If you can't remember your name soon, you'll disappear."

"My name is _. My name…is _."

"Keep trying; you'll get it."

"My…name…is…X_."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Ok, I lied: I'm not done with the author's note. It's not a long chapter, I know, and probably not worth the ungodly amount of time that I made you wait. For that I apologize. This is me getting back into the groove of this story. I'm going to try and main this AND Neon Psychosis Evangelion AT THE SAME TIME. WHAT? IMPOSSIBLE! We'll see.

So please review, tell your friends, and be sure to check out some of my other stories.

/shameless self-promotion


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